OSFest 2026 will run October 12 via 26 throughout the hypergrid, organizer Lisa Laxton advised Hypergrid Enterprise, and the neighborhood is now voting on the pageant’s theme via a customized ranked-choice platform she constructed for the event. Voting closes on Might 31.
The neighborhood submitted 18 theme strategies this 12 months, Laxton advised Hypergrid Enterprise. Moderately than choosing one with a easy ballot, organizers are utilizing a ranked consensus voting system that produces a composite rating from all contributors’ selections.
The voting web page is public, and anybody can rank the strategies, Laxton stated. Outcomes will assist organizers decide on a number of themes for the pageant.
Constructed for the worldwide hypergrid crowd
Final 12 months’s OSFest drew avatars from greater than 150 grids, and Laxton stated the brand new voting instrument was designed with that worldwide, accessibility-minded viewers in thoughts.
The instrument helps 16 languages and auto-detects the browser’s most popular language, Laxton stated in her e-mail. It additionally contains an AI-assisted election helper that takes voice or textual content enter within the chosen language.
“The palette and font used is dyslexia and neurodiverse pleasant,” Laxton stated. The web page is screen-reader appropriate, and customers can have interaction by mouse, keyboard, or voice from any gadget as a result of the positioning is constructed as a Progressive Internet App.
OSFest 2025 welcomed occasions from any grid that might present a stream URL, with simulcasts dealt with via the hypergrid broadcaster system from 0HubRadio.com.
This 12 months follows the identical open sample.
“Anybody can take part within the voting and host occasions on any grid this 12 months,” Laxton stated. The OSFest calendar will go reside after the election whereas the OSFest grid is being up to date to help bodily primarily based rendering.
Organizers used a neighborhood vote to choose the theme for OSFest 2024 as nicely, although that spherical was carried out through Discord emoji reactions and e-mail.
